Kissimmee Police Shooting Leaves Two Officers Dead

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The scene of a shooting in Kissimmee, Fla., on Friday evening.CreditCreditWESH.com

By Dan Sanchez and David Ok

Aug. 19, 2017

Two police officers have died after being shot Friday night in Kissimmee, Fla., in what the police chief said may have been an ambush while they were responding to a call complaining of suspicious activity on the city’s north side.

It was one of three cases on Friday night in which a total of six law enforcement officers were shot in Florida and Pennsylvania.

In Kissimmee, about 20 miles south of Orlando, the officers were found around 9:30 p.m. at the intersection of Palmway and East Cypress Streets after residents reported the shooting, Chief Jeffrey O’Dell said.

They were identified as Officer Matthew Baxter, who had been on the force for three years, and Sgt. Sam Howard, a 10-year veteran. Officer Baxter died shortly after the shooting and Sergeant Howard died Saturday afternoon.

Everett Glenn Miller was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, Chief O’Dell said at a news conference on Saturday morning. He was being brought to jail in Officer Baxter’s handcuffs, the chief said.

The shooting occurred during what Chief O’Dell called a “consensual encounter to get out and check.”

“Nobody was being placed in handcuffs,” the chief said. “If all things checked out, the officers would have been on their way.”

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Chief Jeffrey O’Dell of the Kissimmee Police spoke during a news conference early Saturday.CreditWESH.com

Chief O’Dell said officers are often called to North Kissimmee. Residents, he said, “get tired of putting up with some of the drug dealing and nonsense that goes on in the neighborhood.”

He added, “And we’re doing our part to try to keep them safe, and then we have this tonight.”

In a statement, Gov. Rick Scott said: “Today, I join every Floridian to honor these law enforcement officers, their brothers and sisters in uniform, and their families,” adding that the episode should “be a constant reminder of the sacrifice of those who serve to keep us safe.”

The Kissimmee shooting was the first of two attacks on Florida police officers Friday night. Two sheriff’s officers in Jacksonville were wounded when they responded to a call about a man making threats to hurt himself and others, officials said.

The gunman, identified as Derrick Brabham, 25, fired at them with a semiautomatic rifle around 11 p.m., Sheriff Mike Williams said at a news conference on Saturday.

The police believe Mr. Brabham, who was killed during the altercation, had been drinking, Sheriff Williams said.

The officers, Michael Fox, an 11-year veteran of the force who was undergoing surgery for hand injuries, and Kevin Jarrell, who was alert and “in good spirits” despite having been shot in the stomach beneath his protective vest, were both in stable condition, Sheriff Williams said, adding that it’s “a long road back for both of them.”

Rifles are designed to be shot at a long distance, Sheriff Williams said, and body armor cannot stop the velocity of a round.

The gunman’s girlfriend and their 19-month-old baby were in the house, in addition to the girlfriend’s mother and a family friend. Nobody else was injured.

“No doubt in my mind that they saved those women’s lives,” Sheriff Williams said of the officers.

In Fairchance, Pa., on Friday two State Police troopers were shot during a burglary investigation.

The troopers, who were in plainclothes, arranged to meet the gunman, identified as Clarence A. Belsar III, 26, after he agreed to sell them a PlayStation console that was believed to have been stolen, Capt. Joseph D. Ruggery said during a news conference on Saturday.

When the troopers identified themselves as police officers, Mr. Belsar tried to flee, and a struggle began as the troopers tried to arrest him, Captain Ruggery said. Mr. Belsar reached into his waistband and pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and fired one round at the troopers, striking one in the left hand and the second in the abdomen.

The troopers, who were not identified, then shot Mr. Belsar, who died at the scene, Captain Ruggery said.

One of the troopers was released from the hospital, the captain said. The other was in critical condition and was expected to survive.

Correction:

An earlier version of this article misspelled the surname of one of the sheriff’s officers in Jacksonville, Fla., who was shot on Friday night. He is Kevin Jarrell, not Gerald.

Johanna Barr and Christina Caron contributed reporting.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A13 of the New York edition with the headline: Police Shootings in Florida and Pennsylvania Leave 2 Officers Dead and 4 Injured. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe